Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-04

The robin cooked lis head ana ga2ed
with his broght eyes from the old man
with his bundle OF buttons aud beads TO
the severe retreatinG figure and still dis
Coursing plaintiveness might have seemed
to an imaginative mind like the preacher
who cried call is vanity"
But Mis- 'Lialtim had not m imagina-
tive mind and she was far from suspect
ing that her Solemn realities were but
vanity.
Could it be called anything less than a
solemn reality that 'Lectv was still think
ing of good-for- nothing Ben Holiday, and
for that reason refused to marry Nahum
Briggs, the most 'fore-handed" young
man in the town, whose farm was the
pride of the county AID whose mill pro
ducts carried his name TO all the great
centres of trade. Little Mis- 'Liakim's
heart thrilled when she saw Nahum
Briggs" in great black letters on boxes
and barrels, rs If he was already her SON
Der he would probably be a deacon, as
his father and grand father had been be-
fore him.
"I.ecty will be marryin' in the Lord,
too il seems az if twas too much OF II
'blessin',r Mis- 'Idakim had sand TO her
felt.
But this blessing 'Lecty was unaccount-
by disposed to reject. She offered the
most frivolous objections shc SAID Nahum
wore blue yarn Stocking, aud called
things interesting, as if he were speaking
IN meeting and That he was stingy. The
| Briggs family had been charged with this
| latter failing from time lmmemorial but
Mis- 'Liakim said she had lived too long
| to expect perfection in human nature, and
| twas much better for Il young man to
| he prudent and economical than to be Il
careless spendthrift like some she had
seen in Bloomfield And that remark
generally had the effect OF shutting
'Lecty up," us Mis- 'Liakim averred.
Ii was four years since Ben left Bloom.
! field to seek his fortune, and nothing had
been heard from him. He was a careless,
generous fellow, Il little inclined to be
wild" His mother was Martha Jane
kittredge, old Parson Kittredge's daugh-
ter, but she had died VIII an he was baby.
The Holidays were thriftless, visionary
people. Mis- 'Liakim and many Others
had prophesed that Ben would come to
TO good. He had sailed with his father
on that voyage, which had proved so dis
astrous to poor Cap'n Isr'el, but, accord
ship, at New York, having no liking for a
sailors life. Mis- 'Liakim could almost
fine it i'll her heart to wish that Cap'n
lsr'els savage kingdom where he was
held prisoner were not 4 myth.
81 should be willin' to have 'em let him
go as soon as 'Lecty and Nahum We're
safely married. she said to paclfy her
conscience.
"Aln't you comm il to rest you a
spell - called Miss Nancy Briggs afrably
from the ne-shaped porch where she was
peeling apples.
1t was universally considered high
compliment to 'Lecty thae Miss Nancy APP
proved of her nephew's choice for she val
iantly guarded him, rolling fearfully an
artificial eye which made gruesome her
otherwise not uncomely countenance, at
any ineligible damsel no might be sus
TODD hp Il Il
his possessions.
Nahum might reasonably have expect
ed property with his WIFE" she had re-
marked candidly, to Mis- 'Liakim, but
says to him get savin' disposition and
faculty, and you've got property, and the
kind that won't be flung in your face, too
There's terrible resk in marryin' nova
days, and Nahum feels 1t. but | want to
see somebody here that won't waste and
destroy, for feel that my time to give up
is coming soon."
Instead of approaching the marks of
favor which Miss Nancy bestowed upon
her 'Lecty declared that she made her ner
vous because she was always reckoning
what things cost and. also, because she
could not quite outgrow the belief relig-
iously held by Bloomfield children that
her false eye could see what you were
thinking Of"
Mis- 'Liakim yearned for sympathy, but
she feared that if she accepted Miss
Nancy'S invitation she should unbosom
her woes too freely to her; it was as well
that Miss Nancy should forget that there
were ever any symptoms of company
keeping" between 'Lecty aud Ben Holli-
day.
But she leaned upon the gate and re-
marked that it was sad, though perhaps
no more than might be expected to see a
Holiday in the poor house, and told of
her escape from inspecting the rubbish
which Cap'n Israel called his sons ran
som.
II expect that young man needs ran.
som from sin and Satan more'n from saw
ages" said Miss Nancy, shaking her
head. And yet he's Old Parson Kit
tredge'S grandson; he may turn out well
Il don't s'pose he'll ever come back
kim, anXiocslY.
Well, it's Just like Holiday to tnrn
up unexpected" said Miss Nancy with
cheerful Indifference.
"He may be dead" said Mis- 'Liakim,
as anxiously as If Miss Nancy could help
her to wiring an answer from Fate.
q hope don't wish he was" she said
to herself with pang of Conscience
II expect there's some wouldn't want
him to come back" said Miss Nancy.
Elisha and Adeliue." she added, in an-
swerEto Mis- 'Liakim's startled look. y II
There was his Uncle jeremiah, he was
terrible drunkard, you remember"
YES, remember said Mis- 'Lakim,
with alacrity. "It's always broke out in
the family here and there"
well, we that hain't got such things
! to contend with had onght to he thank
full, " said Miss Nancy. Pm flXn' Nahum
out for Gineral Court He's takin' Il grert
interest in politics. declare ] shouldn't
be surprised if he should get to Congress
| yit. You can't beat Naaum out of any
thing he sets his mind on gittin'. He's
helpin sort the punking Aow he sort the
punklns now he says Lysauder is terri.
bic apt to be wasteful if he don't watch
| him."
well, l must be gon'. Lectv, she's
trimnin' q bonnet for old Miss Fowler. -
'Lecty can turn her hand to anything
can't she ? Jest the way used TO be {.
| What does she git for trimmin' now :"
| Taking her way homeward, after salts.
fying Miss Nancy's final curiosity, Mis-
Lialiim passed the field where Nahum
Briggs was occupied with his pumpkins.
Long and lank, and yet almost awk
wardly high. shouldered, was Nahum,
with dark face over which the skin
| 1roXvn ca tirLtlv o..x ~,